Tyre Biting Dog - anyone overcome this?

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Tyre Biting Dog - anyone overcome this?

16 posts & 13 voices | Started 1 year ago by flowmtbguy | Latest reply from flowmtbguy

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flowmtbguy - Member

*** I know there's a lot of dog haters on this forum - so useful answers like "don't have a dog" etc are all taken as read, move along now ***

So I have a Aussie Shepherd - she's 18 months old - can't get enough of going for my tyres if we're out for a ride. Most of the time she's fine, running ahead. Every now and then we have a 5 minute time out whilst she goes for my tyres. She knows it's bad, but it doesn't seem to matter. I'm guessing she's "hearding" the bike.

Anyone gotten over this type of behaviour? How?

Tyre biting dog + bike shop / bike holiday company pet isn't a good mix!

Posted 1 year ago #
qwerty - Member

i can't help - but you reminded me of when i was riding in NZ - i got chased by two hunters dogs and had to climb a tree to escape, the stoopid mutts took to biting my tyres until one of the tyres blew - with an almighty bang! the dogs retreated and shyed away after that and i then managed to escape

Posted 1 year ago #
GRAEMEJONES - Member

Met a couple out walking theirs in Delamere a couple of weeks ago,a nice friendly dog,very colourful coat to,but after we had finished making a fuss of him, the first thing he did was to turn around and have a quick bite on my mates rear tyre!
So although its of no help to you,sorry, yours doesn't appear to be the only one with the habit.

Posted 1 year ago #
MrTall - Member

A dog being walked on the lead outside my office yesterday decided to try and bite the tyre of the huge HGV that drove past it.

Poor little thing never stood a chance and got dragged in and badly squished. Owner was in hysterics. Not a pretty sight. That dog will only be biting tyres in doggy heaven now.

Posted 1 year ago #
flowmtbguy - Member

blimey MrTall - that doesn't sound fun!
Mine doesn't go for cars when she's on a lead - not interested at all

Just about the first thing I read after getting her was something like "....also known as 'tyre biters'...." missed that when reading up on them before!

She's managed to cause one puncture, luckily outside my garage. Riding today with no pack made me a little more paranoid than usual! Maxxis EXO tyres FTW!

Posted 1 year ago #
TooTall - Member

You need to train the dog and stop it. Whether you use a leash, a shake bottle, coat the tyres in chili sauce, reward for not doing it. If it was a child the dog was biting, how would you go about training the dog? Or would you be like 90% of dog owners and expect it to listen while you said 'no, no, no' 72 times?

She isn't herding the bike - they don't use their teeth to do that. She does it because you're not stopping her.

Posted 1 year ago #
flowmtbguy - Member

Thanks TooTall - i appreciate I need to train her not to bite. Hence the post - to see if any training methods were suggested.

Pretty sure nipping and biting is basic herding behavior for an Aussie BTW - she's not 'attacking' the tyres (or children)...

Posted 1 year ago #
jam bo - Member

My mates collie used to do that. Bite tyre, slam head into ground, cartwheel. Repeat.

Never managed to stop it...

Posted 1 year ago #
takisawa2 - Member

Rolled up newspaper gently on the nose.

Posted 1 year ago #
carlosg - Member

Tried using a muzzle? , it might just be the answer and despite the fact that she hasn't bitten anybody only your tyres it takes that possibility away. dogs can do strange things when they get excited.

Posted 1 year ago #
singlespeedstu - Member

Not got any ideas for a cure but can you video it and post it up please.

There's nothing as funny as a collie type dog that's daft enough to chase tyres.

I know a farmer who's dog will quite happily ride on the petrol tank of her MX bike but as soon as it jumps off it tries to bite the tyres.

Posted 1 year ago #
big_n_daft - Member

I suggest you go on a course to learn how to train dogs/ join a club after 18 months you've exhausted your repetoire

I would also suggest that you don't take the dog out until you resolve the training issue as you clearly don't have full control, what are you going to do when someone elses tires are subject to you dog's attentions and they take exception to it?

obviously being a dog owner you'll ignore the second point

Posted 1 year ago #
godzilla - Member

There was a collie at the next door farm to us that bit tyres, my mum ended up crushing its head with a 4x4.
Call Cesar millan.

Posted 1 year ago #
69er - Member

I'd start slow, dog on lead adjacent to bike being walked past. Try distraction, possibly with treats.

Most important: reward only good behaviour . Dogs love your attention, being told off is better than being ignored.

Don't get aggressive, it won't work. Learn to be firm without being angry.

You have to find a way of making the dog want to leave the tyres alone.....

Good luck!

Posted 1 year ago #
OCB - Member

Isn't the thing with dogs to reward good behaviour, rather than 'punish' (note small 'p') bad [behaviour] - on the basis that the dog won't necessarily make the link between it's action and a negative outcome, but it will much more reliably associate it's action and a positive outcome (being social/pack animals and needing the security of it's position in the pack hierarchy).

That might well be complete and utter rubbish tho' (either because I've not remembered it correctly, or because it just *is* [rubbish]). Perhaps I should also declare and interest in cats at this point, potentially rendering all dog related comments thus invalid.

Edit: Beaten to it by 69er!
Looks like it might be true after all as well!

Posted 1 year ago #
flowmtbguy - Member

the original post was very specific - if anyone had had this problem and managed to overcome it with some special method other than the usual stuff.

She's very easy to train to DO things, but training an animal NOT to do something is infinitely harder...especially if its an ingrained reaction

And I can say that we've never seen another mountain biker on any ride we've gone on - I'm not stupid enough to take her anywhere popular - thanks for the advice though

Posted 1 year ago #

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